sour mash

American  

noun

1. a blended grain mash used in the distilling of some whiskeys, consisting of new mash and a portion of mash from a preceding run and yielding a high rate of lactic acid.

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sour mash British  

noun

1. a grain mash for use in distilling certain whiskeys, consisting of a mixture of new and old mash

2. any whiskey distilled from such a mash

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Etymology

Origin of sour mash

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85

Example Sentences

There are entries on, for example, charcoal filtration, cryoextraction, heat exchangers, sour mash and water-bath stills.

From New York Times • Dec. 13, 2021

Not quite achaar at Badmaash: The pickles at this downtown Indian restaurant aren't the pungent sour mash you'll find at a traditional Indian restaurant or grocery store.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 31, 2014

In the Tennessean news columns, as distinctively flavored as Tennessee sour mash bourbon, heavy local coverage is liberally laced with national and international news and brightly written features.

From Time Magazine Archive

It was sour mash and corn syrup, ridicule and wit, all the local grievances stirred to a bitter brew.

From Time Magazine Archive

By refusing Jimbo’s offering of sour mash, you would have thought that I had committed the one sin that was unforgivable by all monkeys.

From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls